MINNEAPOLIOS, Min. (WLAX/WEUX) – Back to the drawing board on day eight, as the painstaking process of trying to find impartial jurors in the George Floyd murder trial continues. The jury now stands at eight members, after the judge excused two people were previously selected. FOX News Correspondent Matt Finn is in Minneapolis to explain why.
The challenging jury selection process in the George Floyd murder trial became more difficult on Wednesday, as Judge Peter Cahill unseated two of the jurors selected last week.
“Is that going to change your position about being fair and impartial in this case,” said Cahill.
The judge on Wednesday virtually recalled all seven jurors selected during the first week to question them about what they learned of the city’s 27-million-dollar settlement with the Floyd family. Announced Friday, after they had already been seated.
Cahill said, “Do you think now, with this new information, it would be hard to presume the defendant is innocent? Would hard to be impartial in this case?”
That was juror number 36, a Hispanic man in his 20s, and the other, juror number 20, a white man in his 30s, told the judge the settlement price tag meant the city admitted something went wrong.
The judge ordered all selected jurors not to follow the case, but acknowledged, it’s possible they inadvertently learned about the settlement stemming from Floyd’s May 2020 fatal arrest.
Cahill said, “I am satisfied that the others could in fact remain partial.”
As attorneys on both sides work to seat 12 jurors and 2 alternatives. The defense argues the jury pool is growing increasingly tainted.
On Tuesday, the judge denied the defense’s motion to sequester the jury ahead of the trial…
But says he is open to it during deliberation.
The defense also asked, once again, for this trial to be relocated, arguing that it’s very hard to find impartial jurors here. The judge is considering it and will make his decision soon
In Minneapolis, Matt Finn, FOX News.